A delicious breakfast casserole made with leftover ham and your choice of cheese. This ham and cheese strata is a perfect make ahead casserole and can serve a crowd.
Serve for a holiday breakfast or a Sunday brunch!
Breakfast strata
A breakfast strata is simply an egg casserole with bread and your choice of meat and cheese. I've made this one with leftover ham and swiss cheese.
Mix this up the night before and then bake in the morning. It makes for a delicious easy morning breakfast. Perfect for the holidays!
This recipe makes enough to serve 9 people so you might have some leftovers. But leftover strata is also delicious. My husband likes to reheat it for his lunch.
This recipe is a perfect way to use up your holiday ham, cheese and day old bread!
Key ingredients
- Eggs - This recipe uses 8 eggs
- Ham - leftover ham is perfect
- Cheese - Swiss, Monterey, Cheddar. Use all three or pick your favorite
- Bread - Day old bread that is just slightly stale
- Milk - Any type of milk works. Whole milk will make a richer strata
- Dijon mustard - Adds just a bit of zing to the strata
- Herbs - fresh or dried thyme. Can also use parsley or basil.
Step by step directions
- Whisk eggs, milk, mustard, herbs and salt and pepper together in a bowl
- Add bread and mix gently until bread is fully coated
- Stir in ham and cheese
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight
- Pour mixture into a greased 8 inch baking dish
- Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 50-60 minutes until no longer jiggly in the center
Recipe tips
- The bread should be stale, but not fully dried. If your bread is fresh, cut into cubes and let sit uncovered at room temperature.
- Dried herbs can be used in place of the fresh. Cut amount in half.
- Use thyme, parsley, or basil
- Allow casserole to cool at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving
- Garnish with fresh herbs
Frequently asked questions
Give the casserole dish a little jiggle. If the center is set, the casserole should be done. You can also insert a butter knife in the center of the casserole to determine if the center is cooked.
Allow casserole to cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. To use, slice a piece and microwave for 1-2 minutes until heated through.
More delicious breakfast casserole dishes
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Be certain to check out all my delicious breakfast recipes!
Ham and Cheese Strata
Ingredients
- 8 eggs
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 4 cups cubed bread
- 1 ½ cups ham (cubed)
- 1 cup swiss cheese (cubed or shredded)
Instructions
- Whisk eggs, milk, mustard and seasonings together in a large bowl8 eggs, 1 ½ cups milk, 2 teaspoons dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Add bread and stir gently so all bread is covered4 cups cubed bread
- Stir in ham and cheese1 ½ cups ham, 1 cup swiss cheese
- Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or for overnight
- Pour mixture into a greased 8x8 inch baking dish
- Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 50-60 minutes
- Allow casserole to rest for 5-10 minutes
- Top with freshly chopped parsley and serve
Notes
- The bread should be stale, but not fully dried. If your bread is fresh, cut into cubes and let sit uncovered at room temperature.
- Dried herbs can be used in place of the fresh. Cut amount in half.
- Use thyme, parsley, or basil
- Allow casserole to cool at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving
- Garnish with fresh herbs
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Dianne says
can I use hash browns in place of the bread?
Kathy says
Hi Dianne,
I have only made this recipe using bread. However, you could check out this recipe for a Hash Brown Casserole. It's very similar. In theory, you shouldn't have any problems substituting the bread for the hash browns, but I haven't tested it out.
Let me know how it works for you!
Kathy 🙂
Julia Marple says
Wow So Dramatic and Beautiful!
I guess I had never made a strata before.
I'm a fan!
Kathy says
Thanks, Julie!!! They are easy to make and I love that you can make ahead of time too.
~ Kathy 🙂
Valentina says
Love that this is such an impressive brunch dish with such a short prep time. Of course, I'd happily have it for dinner too. 🙂 ~Valentina
David @ Spiced says
This is my kinda breakfast! I've always enjoyed a good egg casserole, but I rarely make it. The ham and Swiss cheese in there is calling my name, and I might just need to put this on the menu sometime during the holiday season!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, Kathy!!
Dawn says
This strata would be perfect for any meal of the day! So comforting, delicious and just the kinda thing I'm looking for (especially for weekend brunch).